Mikel Arteta's side picked up the most wins an Arsenal team have ever had in a Premier League season, scored the second-highest number of goals and boasted the best defence in the league.
However, while the majority of the Spaniard's stars took another step forward, a few didn't, or worse yet, took a step back.
Gabriel-Martinelli-Arsenal-Champions-League
Unfortunately, Gabriel Martinelli was one of them, and based on recent reports, his poor form could cost him his place in the team.
Gabriel Martinelli's season in numbers
The former Ituano gem came into 2023/24 off the back of his most impressive campaign to date, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 46 games for the Gunners as they sprung an unexpected and impressive title challenge for the first time in a very long time.
Martinelli in 22/23
Appearances
46
Goals
15
Assists
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.45
All Stats via Transfermarkt
However, while he was seen as practically undroppable for his serious output last year, Martinelli struggled to hold down a place in Arteta's side this season due in part to injuries, poor form, and Leandro Trossard's goalscoring prowess.
In 44 games this year, the Brazilian scored just eight goals and provided five assists, and while those aren't dreadful numbers by any stretch of the imagination, they are a step back from what he showed he was capable of in 2022/23.
Martinelli-Arsenal
In his defence, he missed eight games through injury compared to just three last season, but that is about all you can say for the 22-year-old when Trossard managed to score 17 goals and provide two assists in just two more appearances.
In all, it was a campaign to forget for the Guarulhos-born star, and with Arteta looking to improve the squad this summer, his place in the starting XI next season could be under threat.
The player who could replace Martinelli
There have already been several wingers linked to Arsenal over the last few months, such as Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto and even Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. However, the latest name touted for a move to N5 is someone a lot less familiar to Premier League fans: Girona's Viktor Tsyhankov.
According to reports out of Spain, the Gunners are one of several sides interested in signing the winger this summer and stand a good chance of doing so as his contract includes a 'termination' clause worth €30m, which is around £26m.
Moreover, the player himself is said to view the Emirates as a great place for him to develop alongside the young and exciting squad.
Tsyhankov vs Martinelli in 23/24
Player
Tsyhankov
Martinelli
Appearances
34
44
Goals
8
8
Assists
7
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.44
0.29
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The Ukrainian international enjoyed a brilliant campaign with the Catalan club this season, racking up eight goals and seven assists in just 34 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.2 games - significantly better than Martinelli's average of a goal involvement every 3.3 games.
Described as a winger whose "left foot is a weapon" by Scouted, the Nahariya-born ace has primarily played on the right in recent seasons.
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However, he's started 24 games on the left wing and four games on the left of midfield for his club and of his 52 national team appearances, 24 have come as a left-winger. So, while he hasn't started there this season, he's clearly someone who could thrive there and get the most out of his unreal left foot.
However, while his raw output was superior to the Brazilians this year, how does he stack up to the Arsenal man when looking at their underlying numbers?
Tsyhankov vs Martinelli
Stats per 90
Tsyhankov
Martinelli
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.53
0.58
Assists
0.31
0.18
Non-Penalty Goals
0.35
0.27
Progressive Passes
3.90
2.90
Progressive Carries
2.85
5.67
Shots
1.93
2.59
Goals per Shot
0.18
0.10
Passing Accuracy
78.9%
77.9%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.21
4.10
Goal-Creating Actions
0.57
0.49
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season
Well, it's not a landslide victory, but the former Dynamo Kyiv ace comes out on top in most metrics, including assists, non-penalty goals, progressive passes, goals per shot, passing accuracy and goal-creating actions, all per 90.
Ultimately, while Martinelli is still an incredibly talented player, bringing in a player like Tsyhankov seems like an intelligent move, as the worst-case scenario for him is that he develops into the Brazilian's backup in a title-challenging team, and the best case is that he becomes the starting left-winger.
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